Convertible drying kiln and crib



Dec; 18,1923. 1,477,682

G. W. ATHERTON CONVERTIBLE DRYING KILN AND CRIB Filed July 29 1921 3Sheets-Sheet 1 ll TTOR/VEYS Dec. 18 1923.

G. W. ATHERTON CONVERTIBLE DRYING KILN AND CRIB Filed July 29. 1921 IIIWITNESSES G, M4 Ater 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIV E/VTOR A TTOR/VEYS Dec. 18,1923. 1,477,682 I e. w. ATHERTON CONVERTIBLE DRYING KILN AND CRIB FiledJuly 29 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 y a 1 I \I" h .X 2 O jag/Wm Patented Dec.18, i923.

GEORGE VJ. ATHERTON, OF LIVERIVIORE KENTUCKY.

CONVERTIBLE DRYING KILN Ali?) CRIB.

Application filed July 29,

To (LUV/0710771 it may, conccm:

Be it known that I, Gnonon VJiLLmi-r ATHiJnToN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Livermore. in the county of McLean and Stateof Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConvertible Drying Kilns and Cribs, of whichthe following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a convertible drying kiln and crib for corn orother grain and has for its object to provide a structure of thischaracter constituted entirely of cement and steel so as to be fireproof, lightning proof and rat proof. and which is adapted toefficiently operate to dry corn too succulent or sappy for storage or tobe. readily converted into a crib for receiving and storing corn orother grain.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novelfeatures of construction. combination and arrangement of parts whichwill be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed outinthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming part of this specification. and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view illustrating; the preferredembodiment of the invention Figure 2 is a view thereof in transversevertical section;

Figure 3 is a view in transverse horizontal section;

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the shaft; and

Figure is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one f theventilating openings and its shutter.

Referring to the drawings wherein for thesake of illustration is shownthe preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1O designates thebase upon which the cylindrical body 11 of the convertible drying kilnand crib is arranged. The cylindrical body 11 is preferably constructedconcrete and is provided with a door 12. An in'iperforate bottom wall 13closes the lower end of the cylindrical body and is preferably integraltherewith, the upper end ofthe cylindrical body being closed I a.sloping roof 14 having a central openlug 15 provided therein.

Ventilatin openin 's 16 are provided in A to n 2 the cylindrical bodyportion and )reierably are arranged in circumferential series, each1821. Serial No. 458,399.

circumferential series being spaced vertically from the other series.Steel screening 17 extends across the opening at the inner ends thereofand at the outer ends of the 50 openings swinging shutters 18 arearranged the shutters being pivotally connected to the body portion andbeing imperforate so that when they are closed they prevent flow of airthrough the openings 16.

A. slatted floor 20 is arranged within the body 11 adjacent the lowerend thereof but spaced from the bottom wall 13 so as to define with thebottom wall a heat distributing chamber or space 21. A central shaftdesignated generally at 22 rests at its lower end upon the slatted floorand extends axially of the body 11 and through the central opening 15 ofthe roof. The shaft com- )rises a plurality of spaced longitudinal bars23 arranged in circular series and secured in position by means of flatrings 2% connected with-each of the bars by a suitable fastening means25. A cap plate 26 is associated with the upper end of the 89 shaft andincludes a depending annular flange QTfitted down around the bars 23which go to make up the shaft and secured to these bars by fasteningmeans 27. At the intersection of the shaft and roof, a cir- 8o cularband 28 embraces the shaft 22 and has its lower end abutting the roof.The band 528 is secured in this position by suitable fastening means andpreferably the fastening means which secure the flat. ringsto the barsof the shaft are also utilized for this purpose. Screening 29 which maycomprise reticulated steel fabric completely encloses the portion of theshaft 22 projecting above the roof, the screening 9 extending from theannular flange of the cap plate to the circular band 28.

A plurality of bridge bars or rats 30 are arranged within thecylindrical body ll and. extend longitudinally thereof. These bridgebars are arranged as shown in Figure 3, one being arranged along eachside of each of the ventilating openings and others being arrangedintermediate certain of these openings. The bridge bars are preferablyconstructed of metal and are attachec to the bodv portion 11 by men. ofattaching; hr" l' arranged to one side of Z. bod and below the floor 13heater 37 is arranged in the heati An oiftake pipe 38 leads from theheater through an iinperforate partition 39 which extends across thelower end of a flue extending vertically and along; of the cylindricalbody portion ll. A heating duct 42 leads from the heater to the heatdistributing space 21. The partition 39 serves to prevent the productsof combustion from finding their way into the crib or hollow body 11 andalso constrains the heated air to flow through the duct -12 and throughthe hollow body and shaft.

In operation when it is desired to use the apparatus as a drying kilnfor extremely succulent or opy corn or other grain the shutters 18 aswell as the door 12 are closed and the heater 3? is started. The heaterfurnishes the supply of heat to the heat distributing space 21 by meansof the heating duct 42 and from the heat dist "ibuting space the heatrises through the slatted floor 2i and is uniformly distributedthroughout the grain arranged in the cylindrical body portion 11 dryingthe grain to the desired degree. When it is desired to use the apparatusas a corn-crib for storing or preserving; corn or other grain the heater37 is rendered idle and the shutters 18 are opens l.

by insuring a free ingress of air into the cylindrical portion.

1 claim:

1. in an apparatus of' the character described, a body having animperforate bottom wall, said body having a. plurality ofscreenedventilating openings a roof having an opening, a shaft extendingthrough the body and the opening of'the roof, and bridge bars arrangedwithin the body and extending longitudinally thereof adjacent saidventilating openings. 7

2. In an apparatus'of the character de scribed, a hollow body having animperfo rate bottom, a floor spaced from the bottom and having openingstherein and de fining with the bottom a heat distributing chamber, saidhollow body having a plurality of screened ventilating openings providedwith closures, a roof havinga central opening, a shaft extending throughthe body and through the central opening of the roof, the lower end ofthe shaft resting on the floor and said shaft comprising,- longi tudinalbars, a ring secured to the bars for maintainingthem in proper position,a cap plate on the upper end of the shaft, a band encircling the shaftand abutting the roof at the intersection of the shaft and roof andscreening extending around the shaft between the cap plate and the band,and means for supplying heat to the heat distributing chamber.

GEORGE lV. ATHERTON.

